If Day One of NFL free agency told us anything, it’s that there are teams that are loud and serious about competing in 2026, and there are teams that just aren’t. There was some massive spending from teams that we didn’t expect, and a lot of new coaches were able to put their fingertips on their new squad. Que cera cera, as they say. Let’s jump right into some big winners and big(ger) losers from Monday’s action.
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Winners
Top remaining 2026 NFL free agents entering Tuesday
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates a sack in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns.
Carolina Panthers defense: Carolina stopped messing around and bought a defense that can actually hit – Devin Lloyd plus Jaelan Phillips is a straight-up talent injection with a purpose. They didn’t pay for vibes – they paid for takeaways, pressure, and a unit that can confidently be asked to take over or close a game.
The WR2 and WR3 free agents cashing in: This market is so inflated that being a high-end complementary receiver now comes with WR1 money – the Alec Pierce deal is the glaring example of how wild the middle class has gotten. Teams are paying for a role and praying it turns into a star.
Trey Hendrickson: The Odafe Oweh deal just lit the market on fire – once explosive edge rushers start getting paid like that, Hendrickson’s price tag jumps because he’s the proven commodity. Now every team that needs pressure is negotiating from a worse position – and Hendrickson gets to watch the bidding turn stupid, fast.
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Tennessee Titans defense: The Titans went defense-first and did it like adults – John Franklin-Myers and Alontae Taylor are tone-setters, not fluff. You knew this would be the direction with Saleh at the helm, and you’ve got to love it for Nashville.
Offensive linemen – because Linderbaum reset the needle: When a center is pulling $27M per year, every agent in America just smiled and opened their Notes app. Linderbaum’s deal didn’t just set a market – it shoved the whole offensive line into a new tax bracket, and now everyone else is going to ride the wave.
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Losers
Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) runs the ball during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images
Arizona Cardinals: Arizona spent like a team trying to look busy, not a team building something deadly, and that’s the worst kind of offseason. Tyler Allgeier is fine, Roy Lopez is fine, but fine doesn’t justify the volume – but fine (Gardner Minshew II?) sure doesn’t fix a quarterback mess.
Miami Dolphins signing Malik Willis: Three years, **$**67.5M with $45M guaranteed for Malik Willis is paying premium money for a projection – and Miami already lives in the land of bad risk management. If this hits, they look bold – if it doesn’t (when it won’t), it’s another expensive rebuild mistake.
Seattle Seahawks: Seattle is bleeding pieces off a championship roster – Walker out, Coby Bryant out, Boye Mafe out. And that is not just a small problem – that’s a personality change. Re-signing Rashid Shaheed helps, but it doesn’t replace edge pressure, and its defense is losing teeth.
Michael Penix: Atlanta saying it likes Penix while signing Tua Tagovailoa tells you everything – they’re not ready to hand him the keys, and they’re not hiding it. They say competition is a good thing, and they may get it with Tua signing for the league minimum on a one-year “prove-it” deal.
Kyler Murray: Kyler’s market is softer than Kyler’s Erik (Burkhardt) wants to admit – there are only so many teams that want the contract, the injury volatility, and the whole roster-rebuild gravity that comes with him. If he’s headed for release (and it sure seems like he is), it’s because Arizona knows the trade calls weren’t paying enough – and that’s the loudest answer of all.
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